Whenever we think of WTA since its inception, the names of Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert pop up. But Evert is someone who stole the spotlight. American tennis dream, Evert was stunning and was reigning the court like a boss. And that gave her the confidence to become bigger than what she had envisioned for herself.

Embracing the love and support, Evert went ahead to show people that she can be tough as well as feminine.

Chris Evert on shattering the traditional image of being a woman 

The 18-time Grand Slam champion rose to the top and gained a lot of fame quickly. But she did not let it stay stagnant. Using the influence she had, she broke down the societal image of what she was and could be.

In the book, The rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova: Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship, the author, Johnette Howard, mentions how Evert became a larger-than-life personality. As stated by the author, Evert once said, “I wanted to be tough and I wanted to be a woman-I wanted both.” And the American player did exactly the same.

Apart from rushing in to see her astounding performances on the court, people wanted to know about her personal life too. Grabbing the headlines of newspapers for her outstanding display on tennis courts, and flaunting her good looks on the covers of magazines, Evert wanted to be the epitome of what a woman could be. Magazines covered her romances, and renowned visual artist Andy Warhol wanted her to sit for a portrait. That is not it, she became the first female athlete to be invited to host Saturday Night Live.

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Not restricting herself to the societal standards of how a woman should be, Evert broke all barriers. She reigned both in the sports and the entertainment world.

However, carrying the responsibilities of being a successful woman under the public scanner took a toll on her mental health.

Evert resisted seeking professional help because of her old-school thinking

Despite being the best on the court and people’s sweetheart off  it, Evert struggled a lot in her social life. Specifically, with her relationships.

She talked about her uninformed opinion and confessed that she did not think seeking professional help is wise to figure out her mental health issues. 

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However, she did seek professional help after getting over these preconceived notions. And now even though, she is single; she leads a happy and content life.